Retiring for Research
"What happened?" Saint Marlon asked as he walked through the partially destroyed lab. Papers and tanks were spread and burst throughout the ground, yet a man dressed in a white lab coat remained sitting on a small stool. The man paid no immediate attention to the World Noble and instead flipped through the papers spread across his table. Marlon continued his walk through the lab and knelt down before looking to the destroy tanks. "Frank N. Stein, enlighten me." He said once more, hoping to this time get an answer out of the scientist. Stein spun around in his chair, revealing the many wounds throughout his body each leaking with blood. "So much, Marlon!" Frank exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air in excitement despite his current condition. He smiled as well and hugged the air before turning around to face the table once again. "They came in and really tossed the place, but they could have done worse. They just, didn't." Spitting to his side, Marlon approached Stein's table and placed his hand on his shoulder. He then looked to the papers that Stein had been looking over and said, "Who and what did they take?" "Robin Hood and Red Riding. The two twins who can not be seen without the other, I knew their faces well, but they went under the fake names "Apollo" and "Artemis" as they were," Stein lifted his fingers up for air quotations. "The names bestowed upon them by their leader." Dropping his hands he went on, "Hood possessed the power of a light logia and when I questioned how'd he'd gotten his hands on an ACE, his response was simply that he did not. His fruit was indeed the Pika Pika no Mi and that instead Riding was the one who possessed a light ACE." Marlon pulled a seat from under the table, "Stein, do I look like some sort of child hoping to hear tales so that I can fall asleep?" the Noble asked. "Of course not, I figured since you're no longer a member of the Stars, that you had more time on your hands is all." Stein smiled and again, before he pushed the papers to the side. "I've provided you with the who, but that doesn't matter much, only the 'what'." Reaching across to the other side to a vanilla folder that had the two letters "A.H" written on them. Sliding them over in front of Marlon, Stein tapped onto it the empty folder. Head shaking, Marlon simply reached for his eyes with his hand and rubbed them. "You mean, they stole that information? Damn people, don't know what they're getting themselves into!" He shouted, smashing his hands onto the table. Stein shook his head as well. "See, that's the thing, Saint Marlon. They knew what they were getting themselves into because aside from a few of the other ACEs I had around here, the goal of their visit was indeed this information." The Noble looked behind him and pointed to the broken chain of tanks. "Damn. Did they take her?" "See that's the other thing, they didn't. Their leader appeared it's a face I could never forget. Seven-foot one, muscular about two hundred and twelve pounds give or take, purple hair gold eyes. Big, BIG scar across his chest. He was the same color as you are." As Stein continued to explain the man, Marlon's eyes widened and his heart raced. His lips trembled as he wanted to speak, but Stein simply kept going. Images of that purple-haired woman he screwed over so long ago flicked in his mind like a rerun. "His name was "Zeus", they called him that." Stein said. "BRYANT D. KOBE!" Marlon blurted out. Clearing his throat, Marlon went on. "The rookie pirate, his name is Bryant D. Kobe. That's who he is." "Yes. Yes, Marlon." Pausing, Stein tapped on the folder. "Kobe read through the files and asked me about each of the specimens. He freed Jules, and left Fewic: "Fire Enhanced Woman in Combat"." Once he said that name, a loud shout could be heard before a girl with red hair ran into the room. "Yes, Dr. Stein?" In her hands were a plastic cup of ramen noodles that she handed to Stein. Reaching for the cup, Stein nodded. "Nothing, Fewic and thank you. You may go back out." "Alright!" She shouted, body suddenly engulfing in flames before a small fire-cat appeared at her side. "If you need me, just call!" She said, running out of the room. "He asked me about Jules, FEWIC, and of course AABY. I told him each of their purposes and he surprised me at the explanation of ABBY and said "Amaka Annihilation Being Yearning, crazy name, but it functions for tha' sole purpose of destroying the Buster D. Amaka, aye? Then I've gotta' leave it with ya'. But the artificial human data, I need. Its all in yer mind, after all." "He was a weird kid." Stein ended. Marlon stroked his chin, thoughts flooded his mind regarding the whole situation, but he remained to himself and instead decided he'd take that information back to the Holy Land. "Abby, has been completed, right? Bring her out then." With two snaps and a few moments, a woman dressed in white armor stabbed her into the ground and rested both her hands on top of the blade's hilt. "Abby here, sir. Good evening, Saint Marlon." "I'll relocate you, Stein. But not down here anymore, you're coming up to the Holy Land where you will continue your research. We must've been so cautious any more. We must move with haste." --- Marlon exited the laboratory and placed his pipe into his mouth, before reaching into his pocket for a lighter to ignite the pipe. As the fire burned, leaves burning from within the pipe could be heard. Inhaling, Marlon removed the piped and looked at it sideways before releasing a thick cloud of smoke. The releasing of the cloud had soon been followed by a couple of coughs. "Damn this is some good stuff," Marlon said, coughing once more. "Jack's Bean Corporation, huh?" He scoffed before a slight chuckle left his lips. "Those Bathorys..." The Noble looked up into the sky and for a brief moment a slight gust of wind picked up before the presence of a man towered over Marlon. He was dressed in an all-white suit, holding his coat over his shoulder with his left hand while his right hand remained in his pocket. His black down sat perfectly in the middle of his chest as he looked to Marlon, waiting for a response from the Noble, breaking the awkward silence that fell upon the area. He simply looked and wait. And despite his eyes being hidden by the white mask bearing the emblem of the "World Gorvernment", his gave could be felt. "I take it, your mission was a success, 007?" Marlon asked, placing his pipe back between his lips before reaching into his pocket once more. From it, he drew a ribbon-like emblem and held it up to the man's chest pinning it onto him. "From this day forward," Marlon said, "with the Celestial Dragon Emblem, you have been granted the ability to issue infiltration and attack missions without the authority of the World Nobles. Do not abuse it, James Bond." After Marlon placed the emblem on him, Bond nodded his head. "A privilege I plan to honor, Saint Marlon. The destruction of Wavecro was simple, though that little Princess... she has become one of your Marines. Shall I dispose of her as well?" Marlon waved his hand. "No, no. That Wavecro thing was never my business, I just had the tools to satisfy a fellow Noble at the time. There's no need to worry about the girl." "I am almost certain you plan to give more orders considering you did not dismiss me immediately." Bond's expression fell completely. "Give me the orders sir, I will execute them." First, Marlon scratched his nose. Then, he bit his bottom lip. "There's someone I want you to retrieve for me..." Marlon began, reaching into his pocket and passing a folded piece of paper to Bond. "The name there, check the place passing into the New World. I could order this to Nytro, but there's way too many people around for his face to be noticed. Do it alone, or take other CP-O, I don't care. Just bring him to me. No force, no force." Straightening his stance, Bond flung his coat over his shoulders and placed his other hand into his pocket. "It's done. We will meet back here on Labury." And with that, Bond's body broke down into a series of doves before disappearing before Marlon's eyes. "Ahhh," Marlon sighed, "That damn "Mage"."